Yesterday, I took a side trip to Borgo Parrini, a tiny neighborhood of the town of Partinico, which you’ll find a few miles west of Palermo. Originally developed in the 16th century by the Jesuits (Parrini means priests.), the division of homes has been occupied over the centuries by various residents, mostly supporting agricultural activities…
Category: Art
Look Up (In Sicily’s Capella Palatina)
The ceiling of the Capella Palatina inside the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo is an extraordinary work of Arab Norman art. We were at this fascinating palace during our stay in Palermo earlier this week during our Spring in Sicily tour.
Celebrate The Women In Your Life
Happy International Women’s Day! Buona Festa della Donna! International Women’s Day is celebrated throughout the world. It recognizes the contributions of women to society, originating in the labor and suffrage movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries. To celebrate today, recognize the women in your life, thanking them for their leadership and service.
Ex-votos For Ailments Of The Heart
At the sanctuary devoted to the Maria Santissima di Gulfi in Chiarmonte Gulfi (Ragusa Province), pilgrims offered heart ex-votos to the Virgin Mother. Ex-votos are iconographic body parts or other symbols that are given to the Madonna (That is, in this case. At other sacred sites, ex-votos would be offered to the divinity or saint…
Love + Ricotta + Nutella = Buona San Valentino
A ricotta and Nutella cake for Valentine’s Day? Yes, please! TIP: In Sicily, you will find some of the most exquisite works of art at the pasticceria in the cake case. Happy Valentine’s Day! Buona Festa di San Valentino!
Presenting Him In Palermo: The Epiphany
Buona Epifania! Happy Epiphany! This magnificent depiction of the Nativity was commissioned by Palermo’s Oratorio of San Lorenzo in 1609. It illustrates the newborn baby Jesus with Saint Francis (top right) and Saint Lawrence (left) looking over the shoulder of the Virgin Mother. Painted by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)) in the chiaroscuro technique,…
A Face Without Eyes For The Solstice In Sicily
The winter solstice is upon us, yet I look forward to the summer solstice, when this sculpture of a Greek mask takes center stage at the sculpture garden and farm of Lorenzo Reina, the creator of Teatro Andromeda in Santo Stefano Quisquina. If you plan ahead and know an insider, you could be present here,…
The Fourth Season In Palermo
In Palermo’s “Theater of the Sun,” the intersection better known as Quattro Canti, four fountains featuring women illustrate the four seasons. Not only the annual seasons, but those of life too. Pictured here is Winter. She’s an older, wiser woman holding a flaming lantern. Showing us the way through the darkest time of the year….
Artemis In Sicily: Her Realm Is The Wilderness
A 400 BCE statuette of the goddess Artemis riding a deer, found in Siracusa (now on display at Museo Orsi). Such votives were used to venerate deities throughout the ancient Greek Mediterranean. Artemis is the mistress of animals and wild, untamed things. The wilderness is where you’ll feel her presence. She is the goddess of…
The Leopard, Sicily’s Epic Novel
Prince Don Fabrizio Salina faced a new world in 1860 during the “unification” of Italy. He is the protagonist of “Il Gattopardo (The Leopard),” the posthumously published 1958 novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Burt Lancaster (pictured) starred in the epic movie by Luchino Visconti in 1963. If you haven’t seen it (or read the…